With Quad-Core 13s, what is the better size?

[roland.g]

13” MBP vs 15” MBP. I’ve been waiting for the 2018 refresh to replace my 13” Air which comes in at 2.97lbs. The 13” MBP is 3.02lbs and the 15” is 4.02lbs which is at least better than the 4.5 model from 3 years ago.

I like the idea of the larger screen but do carry it and my work laptop everyday.

Obviously I can get similar specs at the same RAM and drive size on the 13” for less money.

Does the discreet GPU on 15” and other factors make it a no brainer. I do wish they had shaved some weight.

Machine used for watching movies, large photos library, web, etc. No work or real heavy lifting. Expecting a 5 year plus life usage. Going likely with a 1TB drive.

Also will connect when at home desk to a Dell 34” ultra wide 21:9 display 3440x1440 (not 4K).

Any input would be great. Thanks.

 

[Glmnet1]

Seems like the 13" is a perfect fit for you. Lighter and powerful enough for your needs. Plugged into the Dell you won't miss the extra screen space.

If you're not doing anything GPU intensive the iGPU in the 13" is actually better than the iGPU in the 15" which is used for day to day tasks to save power.

 

[jerryk]

I kind of have the same question. I do development and usually buy the 15" unit. But, with the quad core the 13" specs look pretty good. And since a lot of my ML/AI development requires computing resource beyond what a laptop can provide I am using the cloud servers more and more often. I am thinking it might be nice to have something small and light to carry around and do occasional development on.

The only concern I have is running Adobe apps like Lightroom and infrequently Premier. There the GPU might improve performance a little.

 

[roland.g]

I like th idea of extra screen real estate. Especially for media like photos and movies.

Previously I had a 27” iMac as my primary machine and a 13” 2012 MBA as my portable. I didn’t use the laptop all that much. Except for when I wasn’t home. I lost the iPad love and most of my email and a lot of my web surfing is on my iPhone which up until the X was a Plus screen.

Two years ago I got rid of my iMac and got a Mac Mini for a desktop along with the Dell UW 34” screen so I could use it for either the Mini or my work Dell laptop. And that is convenient.

I had planned when new MBPs came out this year to get one but wasn’t sure of the size. I want to transition from the Mini as my primary and leave that as more of a media server for Apple TVs and the like.

I plan to hook up the MBP to my display when in my home office otherwise using it as a portable.

 

[Glmnet1]

I like th idea of extra screen real estate. Especially for media like photos and movies.

Previously I had a 27” iMac as my primary machine and a 13” 2012 MBA as my portable. I didn’t use the laptop all that much. Except for when I wasn’t home. I lost the iPad love and most of my email and a lot of my web surfing is on my iPhone which up until the X was a Plus screen.

Two years ago I got rid of my iMac and got a Mac Mini for a desktop along with the Dell UW 34” screen so I could use it for either the Mini or my work Dell laptop. And that is convenient.

I had planned when new MBPs came out this year to get one but wasn’t sure of the size. I want to transition from the Mini as my primary and leave that as more of a media server for Apple TVs and the like.

I plan to hook up the MBP to my display when in my home office otherwise using it as a portable.

I’m currently wondering if I should get the new 13 MB and an external display or wait for an iMac and get the rumoured budget laptop. I rarely need a laptop anyway. Can I ask why do you want to go back to a laptop as your main machine if you rarely carry it? Any downside you noticed with the iMac+MBA setup?

 

[roland.g]

I’m currently wondering if I should get the new 13 MB and an external display or wait for an iMac and get the rumoured budget laptop. I rarely need a laptop anyway. Can I ask why do you want to go back to a laptop as your main machine if you rarely carry it? Any downside you noticed with the iMac+MBA setup?

I have always been more of a desktop user and fan. Not keen on laptops in general for screen real estate and storage. With the iMac / MBA setup, the iMac was always my machine of choice because of the traditional keyboard and mouse though I do love me first generation magic trackpad and don't use a mouse anymore. The MBA just felt small and as a 2012 model with a 1.8 Core i5 it just feels underpowered. I actually ordered it in June 2012 when they were released with the max 8GB RAM as opposed to the stock 4GB that the store models had. And with my iMac I could TB connect to my iMac and use the iMac as a secondary display for the MBA. The reason for getting rid of the iMac was so that I could use an external second display with my work laptop as I work from home a fair amount, without having to have an iMac and another screen on my desk at home. So the Dell went in place of the iMac and with multiple inputs it is quite easy to switch to the Dell. I just leave a MiniDisplayPort cable on my desk and connect.

The Mini however, now would be the less powerful machine by far when I get a new laptop. So my thought is to relegate it to a media server and use it occasionally at home but really just plug in the laptop when I want to use a computer or use the laptop without the additional screen on the couch, at the kitchen table, in bed, etc. I realize that the 13" is lighter, but in order to use the laptop without an additional screen, the 15" is more appealing. And the MBPs have gone from 5 to 4.5 to 4 lbs over the past few generations.

I am also reading how people see this as a minor refresh and so part of me wonders if I should wait it out another year before making the purchase. I do think if the 13" had not gotten the Quad-Core, I likely would be firmly in the 15" camp. But the increase in power makes it feel like better longevity. I don't particularly need the discreet GPU or 6-Core. It really comes down to screen real estate v weight. At the end of the day the price difference doesn't matter for the length of time I will keep it. I will likely pay the Apple tax for 16GB but won't jump to 32GB RAM, and will also go for the 1TB storage option to allow me to keep more data all the time on my machine, and likely transition my entire Photos library off the Mini unless I can find an easy way to keep them relatively in sync.